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The internet is global. Which is great news for your advertising reach, but sometimes means trouble when you want a particular domain. What can you do when someone else already bought the one you want?\

Try alternatives.

A simple hyphen, a change in top level domain (.com to .net or .biz, for-instance) or pluralizing your name can sometimes help. Be cautious with this however. If the person who owns the website you want has trademarked the name, you could run afoul of copyright law. Domains Like Magic can help you research who owns the site you’re after to make sure this is a non-issue.

Buy the domain from whoever owns it now.

While some people are actively using the domain name they’ve purchased, if the site has no content on it, there’s every chance it’s for sale. Many people will buy domains for later resale. Reaching out to the current owner may enable you to get the domain you want. Be aware, however, that often resellers will inflate the price by quite a bit. Otherwise, there would be no profit in domain name camping.

If you own the trademark on the name in question, you can likely dispute their use.

Whoever first uses a name for commerce usually has trademark protections. If your business was established before the business using the domain name you want, you may have legal recourse. There is an ICANN dispute process in place for these sorts of cyber-squatting (for resale) situations. Domains Like Magic has experience in such disputes, which often involve research and legal brief writing. If the business using your preferred website name isn’t a cyber-squatter, however, you may have to file an actual trademark infringement lawsuit.

Having years of experience with this sort of thing can be very helpful. Get that experience on your side by calling Domains Like Magic, and we can help you get the domain you want.

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